Comparative studies were performed on the possibility of replacing intestinal epithelial cells by some other simplified models for the purpose of examining the adhesion of probiotic bacteria. The adhesion of Lactobacillus casei Shirota ATCC 39539, Lactobacillus acidophilus LC1, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG ATCC 53103 to surfaces of alginate, carrageenan, gelatin, collagen, glass, polystyrene, carboxymethylcellulose, and to intestinal epithelial cells (Caco-2 and HT-29 lines) were tested. Among the examined solid surfaces, the highest degree of adhesion was observed in the case of carboxymethylcellulose and collagen. In the majority of experimental variants, the number of bacterial cells adhering to surfaces increased parallel to the time of their contacting a solid surface. Additionally, there were stated differences in the cell adhesion to hydrogels showing varying concentration rates. On the basis of the experiments performed, it is possible to state that the adhesion degree of probiotic bacteria to various inorganic and organic surfaces is a parameter that depends on the strain of a microorganism. Among all the simplified models applied in the studies in question, no one was marked by an adhesion rate comparable to the adhesion of intestinal epithelial cells Caco-2 and HT-29, which are, nowadays, used as a major model in vitro while investigating the adhesion of probiotic bacteria. (original abstract)